October 20, 2021 — West Valley City, UT — SilencerCo’s newly released “American Gun” episode challenges the common stigma that guns and mental illness do not mix. “American Gun: The Advocate” dives into the story of Genevieve, a girl from Downingtown, Pennsylvania, who struggles with severe OCD and anxiety. To the surprise of many, recreational shooting is the one thing that quiets the chaos of her mind.
The “American Gun” campaign, created by SilencerCo, seeks to illustrate the diversity that exists among American gun owners. Genevieve doesn’t fit the demographic of what many believe to be the standard gun owner. However, firearms play a vital role in her life and the lives of many others outside of this demographic.
Genevieve has struggled with severe OCD since she was a child, but more recently she developed a panic disorder so extreme she could no longer interact with the outside world. She attended an intensive behavioral health center to just get by. That is, until she discovered competitive shooting.
“I felt just so at peace, and I realized how skewed everybody’s perception of mental illness is, specifically in the gun industry, because I’m not a danger to people,” said Genevieve.
Genevieve works help others with mental illness see the meditative benefits of shooting. She even started an organization called “Hold My Guns” to give shooters with mental health issues a temporary and voluntary storage option for their guns. It can be utilized for any reason, but is aimed at suicide prevention.
“There are so many people who suffer from some type of mental illness, whatever it is,” said Genevieve. “If you don’t suffer from one, you know somebody who does. And if you support the second amendment, but you’re saying that 60-70% of people in America don’t have the right to own guns, then do you support the second amendment?”
Other episodes of “American Gun” pose similar thoughtful questions about gun ownership across America. For more information on the “American Gun” campaign, click here.
To view “American Gun: The Advocate,” visit youtu.be/aOwHLko-VW0.
Nice one Genevieve, doing great stuff as always.
This raises some very important points about gun ownership and mental illness. Look how veterans are treated if they voluntarily go to a veterans hospital for treatment of depression or PTSD. It applies to civilians who when applying for a gun permit have to reveal any mental health issues and then be judged by them, even if they are in treatment. That’s why constitutional carry is the only answer.
Agreed. As you pointed out, mental health disorders have such a negative stigma associated with it, so much so, that people suffering from any number of mental health issues can be put in a box as a “danger” to themselves and or others just because they are under the care of a mental health professional. This applies to the states like mine with the so called “red flag laws,” where people who may be suffering from mental health concerns choose not to seek help for fear of being relegated into the category above and potentially having their firearms seized and be subjected to an arbitrary judgment where there is no clear definition to determine whom sufficiently meets the criteria to have their firearms permanently confiscated.